Former Real Madrid superstar Kaka has admitted that he was one of the worst signings in the club's history, together with Eden Hazard . The Brazilian signed for Los Blancos in 2009 as one of the best players in the world for €67m , but never hit the heights as expected of him.
At the time, Kaka was one of the best around, following six years at AC Milan where he had won it all. Arriving in the same summer as Karim Benzema , Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo , he was arguably the signing that generated the most excitement at the Santiago Bernabeu after Ronaldo. Yet a combination of injuries and fit led to a difficult four years in Spain.
"My time at Madrid was very full – there were personal aspects and professional ones. I arrived from Milan as the best, yet if you look up the team's worst signings now, I'm right at the top of the list alongside Hazard," he told Rio Ferdinand 's podcast, as quoted by Cadena SER .
Image via Stephanie Augello
Despite that comment, Kaka then stepped back from the moniker of one of the worst signings in the club's history.
"I wasn't the best in the world, nor was I one of Real Madrid's worst signings. I was a child of God. My identity was rooted in faith; God loved me in any situation. I performed well in Milan, and God blessed me. If I couldn't perform in Madrid, I couldn't control the outcome. God was with me there too, and I was blessed. Emotionally and personally, I experienced everything during those four years. It was an incredible period."
With Jose Mourinho in charge, Kaka was unable to express himself as he had at AC Milan, where Carlo Ancelotti was in charge for all but one of his seasons at San Siro.
"My problem was, first of all, injuries, and secondly, the coach's decisions. Mourinho preferred other players, Ozil, Di Maria , Benzema, Cristiano… We were all competing for two spots in the starting lineup. He opted for other players."
Nevertheless, Kaka revealed that he still maintains a good relationship with Real Madrid, and in particular President Florentino Perez.
"I like seeing Florentino, the players, and the staff who are still there, and having the doors open to me. Whenever they see me, they say, 'This is your club; it's great to have you here. Look, things didn't go the way we all wanted, but I'm very happy you played for us. You've always been professional and shown integrity. You've never said a bad word about the coach, the club, or anyone here'."
In his four years at Real Madrid, Kaka made 120 appearances, scoring 29 goals and giving 39 assists. He would then move back to Milan for a season on a free, before spells with Orlando City and Sao Paulo, retiring in 2017.
